The Birds, the Bees
The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees is the Monkees' fifth album, originally released by Colgems Records as COM-109 (mono) and COS-109 (stereo). It was the last mono album released by Colgems, though they would continue to issue mono singles. The album was produced by the Monkees, with the exception of "Daydream Believer", which had been produced by Chip Douglas during sessions for Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. With this exception, each of the Monkees actually produced their own songs for the album, with little or no participation from any other member. With none of Peter Tork's songs chosen for the final track lineup, Tork's sole presence on the original album was his piano accompaniment on "Daydream Believer". Songwriting credits include David Jones, Michael Nesmith, John Stewart, Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Carole Bayer, Sandy Linzer, Denny Randell, Bill Chadwick, Keith Allison, Steve Pitts, and others. A large number of session musicians were used, including Nesmith, Chip Douglas, Harry Nilsson, Bill Martin, Eddie Hoh, Joe Osborn, Keith Allison, Bill Chadwick, Anthony Terran, Hal Blaine, Bill Martin, James Burton, Michael Melvoin, Max Bennett, Earl Palmer, and Milt Holland. Shorty Rogers did many of the arrangements on the album. The album reached #3 on the Billboard 200 album charts, becoming the first Monkees album not to reach #1. Track Listing Original album Side 1 # "Dream World" # "Auntie's Municipal Court" # "We Were Made for Each Other" # "Tapioca Tundra" # "Daydream Believer" # "Writing Wrongs" Side 2 # "I'll Be Back Up on My Feet" # "The Poster" # "P.O. Box 9847" # "Magnolia Simms" # "Valleri" # "Zor and Zam" Armed Forces Radio & Television Service version An abridged version of the album was issued by the United States Office of Information for the Armed Forces to military radio stations, taking up one side of an LP. Notably absent are the three Top 40 singles from the album. The flip side featured six Jack Jones songs. # "Dream World" # "We Were Made for Each Other" # "Writing Wrongs" # "I'll Be Back Up on My Feet" # "P.O. Box 9847" # "Magnolia Simms" 1994 CD reissue # "Dream World" # "Auntie's Municipal Court" # "We Were Made for Each Other" # "Tapioca Tundra" # "Daydream Believer" # "Writing Wrongs" # "I'll Be Back Up on My Feet" # "The Poster" # "P.O. Box 9847" # "Magnolia Simms" # "Valleri" # "Zor and Zam" # "Alvin" — prev. unissued # "I'm Gonna Try — prev. unissued # "P.O. Box 9847" — prev. unissued alternate mix # "The Girl I Left Behind Me" — prev. unissued early version # "Lady's Baby" — prev. unissued alternate mix 1996 vinyl reissue # "Dream World" # "Auntie's Municipal Court" # "We Were Made for Each Other" # "Tapioca Tundra" # "Daydream Believer" # "Writing Wrongs" # "I'll Be Back Up on My Feet" # "The Poster" # "P.O. Box 9847" # "Magnolia Simms" # "Valleri" # "Zor and Zam" # "I'm Gonna Try" — prev. unissued # "P.O. Box 9847" — prev. unissued alternate mix 2010 CD box set Disc 1 — The Original Stereo Album & More # "Dream World" # "Auntie's Municipal Court" # "We Were Made for Each Other" # "Tapioca Tundra" # "Daydream Believer" # "Writing Wrongs" # "I'll Be Back Up on My Feet" # "The Poster" # "P.O. Box 9847" # "Magnolia Simms" # "Valleri" # "Zor and Zam" # "Through the Looking Glass" — 1968 stereo mix # "Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again" — alternate mix # "D. W. Washburn" — 1968 stereo mix # "It's Nice to Be with You" — 1968 stereo mix # "Carlisle Wheeling" — 1967 stereo mix # "Rosemarie" — 1968 stereo mix # "My Share of the Sidewalk" — 1968 stereo mix # "Alvin" — alternate take # "We Were Made for Each Other" — alternate backing track # "The Girl I Left Behind Me" — 1967 stereo mix # "Little Red Rider" — acoustic version # "Lady's Baby" — 1968 stereo mix # "Ceiling in My Room" — 1967 stereo mix # "I'm a Man" — backing track # "Me Without You" — 1968 stereo mix Disc 2 — The Original Mono Album & More # "Dream World" # "Auntie's Municipal Court" # "We Were Made for Each Other" # "Tapioca Tundra" # "Daydream Believer" # "Writing Wrongs" # "I'll Be Back Up on My Feet" # "The Poster" # "P.O. Box 9847" # "Magnolia Simms" # "Valleri" # "Zor and Zam" # "Alvin" — 1968 mono mix # "While I Cry" — 1968 mono mix # "D. W. Washburn" — mono single mix # "It's Nice to Be with You" — mono single mix # "Come On In" — 1968 mono mix # "Carlisle Wheeling" — 1968 mono mix # "Rosemarie" — 1968 mono mix # "The Girl I Left Behind Me" — 1967 mono mix # "Seeger's Theme" — alternate version # "Tear the Top Right off My Head" — Micky's vocal # "My Share of the Sidewalk" — 1968 mono mix # "Lady's Baby" — 1968 mono mix # "Ceiling in My Room" — 1967 mono mix # "Merry Go Round" — 1968 mono mix # "Don't Listen to Linda" — 1968 mono mix # "Me Without You" — 1968 mono mix # "Zor and Zam" — TV version # "The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees Teen Radio Spot" Disc 3 — The Birds, the Bees & the Raritees # "Monkees Adult Stereo 8 Spot" # "Tear the Top Right off My Head" — Peter's vocal # "Auntie's Municipal Court" — Mike's vocal # "P.O. Box 9847" — 1968 alternate stereo mix # "War Games" — version one # "Lady's Baby" # "Tapioca Tundra" — 1967 alternate stereo mix # "D. W. Washburn" — alternate mix with bass vocal # "Nine Times Blue" — version two; Davy's vocal # "Lady's Baby" — acoustic version # "While I Cry" — alternate mono mix # "Shorty Blackwell" — rehearsal # "Laurel and Hardy" # "Seeger's Theme" — acoustic version # "Tapioca Tundra" — acoustic version # "Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)" # "War Games" — version two # "(I Prithee) Do Not Ask for Love" — second recorded version # "My Share of the Sidewalk" — Mike's vocal version # "Shake 'Em Up and Let 'Em Roll" — alternate vocal version # "Changes" — 2009 mix # "Merry Go Round" — version one # "Magnolia Simms" — stereo remix # "The Girl I Left Behind Me" — third recorded version # "Merry Go Round" — third recorded version # "Nine Times Blue" — version two; Mike's vocal # "The Party" — 2009 mix # "I Wasn't Born to Follow" — backing track Bonus single # "St. Matthew" — acoustic version # "Lady's Baby" — acoustic version Release History United States *1966: Colgems COM-109 — LP (mono) *1966: Colgems COS-109 — LP (stereo) *196?: Colgems P8CG-1007 — 8-track *1985: Rhino RNC 144 — cassette *1985: Rhino RNLP 144 — LP *1994: Rhino R2 71794 — CD (bonus tracks) *1996: Sundazed LP 5049 — LP (yellow vinyl; bonus tracks) *2001: Sundazed LP 5049 — LP (180-gram black vinyl; bonus tracks) *2010: Rhino Handmade RHM2 522248 — 3 CDs (bonus tracks; limited edition) See Also *The Monkees discography Around the Web *Wikipedia *Allmusic *The Monkees Mixography **Colgems LP (mono) **Colgems LP (stereo) **Arista CD **Rhino CD (1994) **Rhino 3 CDs (2010) *The Monkees Sessionography *The Monkees Music Vault *Album art: Monkee45s.net *Monkees.net *Both Sides Now *Rhino Birds, the Bees & the Monkees Birds, the Bees & the Monkees